Marissa Thomas, director of marketing at RIA firm Brand Asset Management Group, has a master's degree in psychology and a background in design. She brings these skill sets together to look for technology solutions that enable advisor efficiency as they enhance clients' experience, and she's extremely excited by the firm's latest endeavor: A dedicated media room from which the Chesterfield, Missouri-based firm's advisors will be able to connect with clients located in 26 different states at any given time.
"We wanted a place in our office that would be our virtual space," Thomas said, "a place that doesn't have to be pieced together when someone needs to make a Skype call or do a webinar, but a dedicated space that allows us to stay connected with our clients and make them feel like we're connected to them. Anytime a client who's not local or is traveling wants to do a Skype call with an advisor, that space is available."
The space also includes a staged studio setting that serves as a dedicated locale for webinars, Thomas said, and it boasts the best-in-breed video and audio software.
Brand Asset Management Group's focus on seeking out cutting edge software solutions is borne out of a long tradition of using the best available technology, a tradition started in the early 1990s by Todd Brand, principal of Brand Asset Management Group. Brand's father founded the firm, which is grounded in the idea that technology enables advisors to spend more time cultivating and deepening relationships with their clients.
"I had done computer work in college, where I had a concentration in information systems, and so I was put in charge of software programs when I joined the firm," Brand said.
At the time, that meant replacing old-style transparency machine presentations with PowerPoint spreads, and upgrading to a new client performance reporting system – "Advent," Brand said, "which is common now but was totally new then."
Empower Small Advisor Force With Technology
As an independent advisory firm, finding the best systems for the back, middle and front office is imperative for Brand Asset Management, which today serves 100 clients with $600 million in assets under management.
